COMPONENTS OF THE POLICY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WAIANAE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL 85-626 Farrington Highway Waianae, HI 96792 STATEMENT OF POLICY A mandatory school uniform policy has been adopted by the WIS SCBM Council beginning school year 2000-2001, effective the first day of school. Students are required to wear uniform tops and adhere to specific criteria for bottom and outerwear, on all school days, Monday through Friday, with the exception of days to be designated as “special dress days.” Students exempt from the school uniform STATE OF HAWAII policy must be in compliance with the Opt-Out provision as stated in components of the policy, section three (3). COMPONENTS OF THE POLICY 1. Parental Leadership and Involvement (BOE Guideline #1) The approval to proceed with the policy was granted by the WIS SCBM Council on March 14, 2000 and was approved by consensus to become effective beginning school year 2000-2001. 2. Protection of Students’ Constitutional Rights (BOE Guideline #3) As stated in the Religious Expression in Public Schools Guide (August, 1995), the WIS Uniform Policy will not prohibit students from wearing or displaying expressive items so long as those items do not independently contribute to disruption by substantially interfering with discipline or with the rights of others. Students are prohibited from wearing anything that is gang attire. The Constitutional rights of students will be respected and WIS will not impose any messages, political or otherwise, on the school uniform. The school’s name and logo will appear on the uniform. 3. Waiver (BOE Guideline #4) Parents wishing to exempt their student from the uniform policy may “opt-out” by requesting an Application for Exemption form available in the school office. Parents should (1) return the completed forms to the office, (2) meet with a school administrator to discuss the student uniform policy and nature of the objection; and (3) review the acceptable student attire. Exemptions are valid only for the current school year and must be renewed at the beginning of each school year. 4. Required School Uniform Policy Students are required to wear the approved school uniform on all instructional days. Optional dress days may be permitted at the discretion of the SCBM Council or the Principal. When permitted, optional dress must meet the dress code regulations. 5. Dress Code Regulations A. All students are required to wear a uniform shirt. Sizes, style, and color choices are described by the vendor on the information sheets provided. Other shirts may not be worn under the uniform. Bottom wear should be appropriate for an educational setting. It is recommended that shorts have an inseam of at least 4 inches and skirts be long enough to cover such shorts. C. Gang related clothing or accessories or clothing which depict drugs, sex, tobacco, alcohol, profanity and/or violence or clothing otherwise deemed inappropriate are not allowed. Belt tips should extend no more than 4 inches from the buckle. Visible markings or tattoos that relate to gangs, drugs, sex, profanity or violence are prohibited. Any item of clothing that may be construed as gang-related may be banned or confiscated at any time. D. It is highly recommended that students wear covered shoes at all times for their safety in and out of class. Uniforms may not be altered or written upon. Jackets must have full zippers or full buttons. If your child prefers to wear a long sleeve shirt, it must be a Waianae Intermediate shirt with the WIS logo. ENFORCEMENT OF UNIFORM POLICY The policy is effective the first day of school. Therefore, unless a parent and student has the Application of Exemption approved for constitutional reasons by the school administration, students will be required to wear uniform tops and adhere to the specific criteria for bottoms and other accessories. The consequences for violating the uniform policy are as follows: 1. The teacher will refer the student to the Vice-Principal. The first violation will result in parent notification by the Vice-Principal who will request a change of clothes for the student. 2. The second violation will result in parent notification, request for change of clothing, and disciplinary action. 3. Repeated violations will result in severe disciplinary action.